Jai Opetaia and David Nyika have put on a bold show for their cross-Tasman world title fight by clashing in a fiery 45-second face-off on the eve of the contest.
Opetaia (26-0) will defend his IBF and Ring cruiserweight titles against the undefeated New Zealand boxer from Gatton (10-0) at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre on Wednesday night.
They shared the stage at the venue on Tuesday, facing off and then pressing their foreheads together like a pair of proud Brahmans in a tense 45-second exchange.
The 29-year-olds, both top-notch amateur boxers with Olympic backgrounds, have been mates for years and were regular sparring mates until a battle became unavoidable early last year.
Nyika has accepted the challenge with just three weeks’ notice after the required challenger, Huseyin Cinkara, pulled out due to an ankle injury.
A chances-on-odds slip with the bookies, he’s calmly sure he can cause an upset and has been unshaken by Opetaia’s fierce reputation this week.
“G’day mate, fairness is up. We’re chuffed with all these arvo chats, now’s the time to get on with it,” the defending champ said.
Grab the popcorn, mate, it’s going to be a real show.
Opetaia hasn’t fought in Australia since he knocked off Mairis Briedis to claim both belts the same place on the Gold Coast more than two years back.
Since then, he’s earned a reputation as a top-notch merchandiser throughout Europe and Saudi Arabia, a swift win in London followed by three straight successes in Riyadh that put him on the world map.
He’ll be returning to his hometown as the country’s pound-for-pound champion but is being cautious of Nyika, who won a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has a size and reach advantage, and is in top physical condition.
“He’s gonna give me a tough contest, I’m as prepared as I can be, let’s get on with it,” he said.
The stakes are high, with a potential unification fight against Mexican star Gilberto Ramirez, who holds the WBA and WBO belts, the next challenge.
“It’s a ripper of a fight for Australian boxing,” British promoter and Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn said.
Jai’s the Number One star in Australia at the moment … the best cruiserweight in the world.
But this is the real deal for Dave, he’s got an eye on something, he thinks it’s on, but tomorrow night he’s up against a real beast in Jai Opetaia.
This is going to be a ripper of a fight, a real classic.
Justis Huni (11 wins, no losses) is set for a quick comeback to the ring, re-entering after his last victory in December, and he’ll face Shaun Potgieter from South Africa, who has 10 wins and one loss.
